Safe mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases

Abstract

The use of mass drug administration for the control of diseases dates back to the early 1900s, with campaigns for the control of soil-transmitted helminths in the USA,1 and worldwide malaria eradication attempts for more than 70 years.2 However, mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases gained particular prominence in the 1990s. Diseases such as onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, schistosomiasis, and soil-transmitted helminths are amenable to mass treatment and control as a result of the availability of safe and affordable drugs.3 These neglected diseases also tend to overlap in their geographical distribution, typically affecting the poorest of the poor, and therefore concomitant administration of free or low-cost drugs against multiple neglected tropical diseases has been recommended to optimise the use of resources, save operational costs, and increase the impact of health interventions. Nonetheless, co-administration of multiple drugs requires for rigorous assessments of safety and drug interactions.